The Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) has been working on advancing radio astronomy programmes and combining efforts to grow astronomy on the continent.
On Monday the DSI were hosts to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and (AVN) partners from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia to look into providing strategic leadership on matters relating to SKA/AVN projects, as well as other relevant radio astronomy initiatives.
Innovations have been introduced to the science world across all nine African partners leading to significant advances in human capacity development initiatives, the strengthening of relevant institutional capacities, the formulation of new academic programmes around physics and astronomy, the roll-out of high-performance computing capability and big data training interventions and science engagement and outreach.
In order to ensure development for Africa through radio astronomy, the department proposes that is continues to engage with the United kingdom taking the case they have in terms of strengthening the programme into a sustainable programme, skills and capacity through astronomy.
“Partner countries were unanimous in their appreciation of the partnership opportunities made available under the United Kingdom-South Africa Newton Fund cooperation framework, which had resulted in initiatives such as the Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) and DARA big data training programmes. Since 2013, 123 students have received training under the DARA Project.”
